Automatic or semi-automatic transmissions have been gaining ground in the motorcycle world for some time now. Honda has two options on the market and now Yamaha is preparing its Y-AMT, a system that will allow you to enjoy the sensations of a big bike but without having to use either the clutch or the gear lever.
This is an electronic gear management system, so the clutch lever and gear shift lever disappear completely from the equation to make way for a system that either automatically manages the changes or allows the user to manage them by pressing an up and down gear button.
The Y-AMT system, which is the acronym for Yamaha Automated Manual Transmission, would also have three driving modes that would modify the behaviour of the gear change. One would be managed by the user, but the other two would be fully automatic, one designed for smooth, quiet driving at low speeds and the other for sportier driving, so the changes would be faster and more direct. Yamaha has named them AT D, AT D+ for the sportier version, and MT for the change made through the buttons.
The first model with Y-AMT could arrive in 2025
There is no official confirmation as to when this technology will be introduced in Yamaha’s range, although rumours suggest it could arrive as early as next year.
As for the chosen model, it could be the Yamaha MT-09, the Tracer 9 or even the MT-07, at least if we take into account the design seen in the video, the different patents that have been made in this regard in recent times and, above all, some images that have been circulating on the Internet for a few days. In them you can clearly see a Yamaha MT-09 without a clutch lever, in what seems to be one of the typical photos taken when homologating motorcycles.
In fact, considering only the latter, it would be likely that although both models equip it, the MT-09 will be the first one we see, since in the past they patented the MTN890 S model, which would be the MT-09 with the Y-AMT.
In any case, it is a step towards increasing the comfort and convenience that motorcycles can offer. And although there are those who still prefer manual gearboxes, these alternatives will surely gain popularity over time, since combined with cruise control they would be perfect allies for long journeys and, who knows, perhaps a first stone in autonomous motorcycle driving.
